Conservation
The Ocean Needs Your Help
Help Protect the Ocean and its Inhabitants
Remember that no matter where you live, the ocean touches your life every day. It gives you food, water, commerce, and recreation. It even provides some of the medicines that heal us and the air we breathe.
The websites below are sources for you to find out what you can do to help protect the ocean and its inhabitants.
Thank the Ocean The more you learn about the ocean, the better you will understand the ocean's influence on you and your influence on the ocean. The ocean takes care of us. Find out how you can thank the ocean at http://www.thankyouocean.org.
Carbon Footprints Our carbon footprint is a measure of the impact we each have on our planet’s climate in terms of the greenhouse gases we produce (measured in units of carbon dioxide). Americans lead the world with the average person contributing 19 tons of carbon dioxide a year to the atmosphere and ultimately global warming. Are you average, above, or below? Use Conservation International’s carbon calculator to find out what your personal impact is and what you can do to change it. Visit http://www.conservation.org.
Mangrove Forests and Coral Reefs Mangrove forests are one of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems—primarily due to human activities. More than 35% are already gone worldwide and as much as 50% in some countries. For coral reefs, it has been predicted that if destruction increases at the current rate, 70% of the world’s coral reefs will disappear within 50 years. Even if you don't live near a reef or a mangrove forest, you can help protect these ecosystems both in the U.S. and around the world. Visit http://www.coralreef.noaa.gov.
Is it Safe to Swim at Your Favorite Beach Today? California has one of the most comprehensive beach water quality testing programs of all the coastal states, but it also has by far the most beach closures and advisories. Prudent surfers stay out of the water for 72 hours after a rain storm. And both wise surfers and beach-goers pay attention to beach closure signs. You can check the beach report card for your favorite swimming area at http://www.healthebay.org or http://www.surfrider.org.
Surf Your Watershed Your watershed is the land area that catches and contributes water to a source that ultimately drains into the ocean. Water resources within a watershed are affected by what happens on the land. So, what we do in our daily lives can impact the ocean no matter where we live. Nonpoint source pollution from urban runoff is the nation’s largest water quality problem and causes one of the ocean’s biggest headaches. Find out where your watershed is, how you can adopt it, and 15 things you can do to help us have clean water to swim and surf in at http://www.epa.gov.
For conservation information about the animals and plants you have seen today, go to our Ocean Learning Center.